Lafarge Africa Hosts Awareness Workshop on Awards

In an effort to create awareness and build recognition for sustainable construction in Nigeria, Lafarge Africa Plc has organized a one-day workshop to sensitize and mobilize stakeholders in the building and construction industry to participate in the 5th LafargeHolcim Awards. The LafargeHolcim Awards being the most significant global competition in sustainable design, seeks leading projects of professionals as well as bold ideas from the next generation that combine sustainable construction solutions with architectural excellence.

Some of the stakeholders who were present at the workshop included architects, planners, engineers, project owners, builders, construction firms, NGOs, and Students from across Nigeria.

The workshop held at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday was organised to bring to the attention of stakeholders in the industry, the opportunity to focus global attention on buildings being constructed in Nigeria, which stretch conventional notions about sustainable construction and also balance environmental, social and economic performance – while also amplifying architectural excellence and a high degree of transferability.

Stakeholders were made to understand the focus of the award, which seeks projects or ideas that embody the target issues for sustainable construction; the 5Ps – Progress, People, Planet, Prosperity and Place. These elements showcase the innovation which are at the cutting edge of sustainable construction, provide an advanced response in terms of environmental and ethical performance, social responsibility, a preservation of natural resources, economic growth, and with a lasting aesthetic impact on the surrounding environment.

Speaking to the participants, Lafarge Africa Plc’s Director of Aggregate & Concrete, Mr. Loren Zanin stated that the LafargeHolcim Awards “is the most significant project competition in sustainable construction and It reinforces the commitment of the company to ensuring a net positive contribution to society and to nature”. He explained that the workshop was meant to share not only the value with the stakeholders, but also to ensure that their efforts in sustainable construction, earns a deserving global recognition.

Mr. Zanin added that the workshop was in sync with the company’s vision of “building a stronger Nigeria safely, ethically and sustainably through innovative construction solutions”. “We are ensuring this by creating an opportunity for Nigerians in the construction industry to participate in this award and leave a significant mark that will turn them into leaders and models for other countries” he remarked.

While commenting on the awards, a Nigerian and past winner of the LafargeHolcim Awards, Mr. Kunle Adeyemi of NLE Works, Lagos and the Netherlands, said the “LafargeHolcim Awards truly uphold the multinational’s values and long-term sustainability goals by giving precedence to the innovations of students and young professionals across the globe”

Other stakeholders at the workshop commended Lafarge Africa Plc for its continued efforts in ensuring that it makes a positive contribution to the growth of its stakeholders and society at large.

The 5th LafargeHolcim Awards opened for registration since July 4, 2016 and closes on March 21, 2017, with a total of USD 2 million in prize money to be awarded to the winners in two categories – LafargeHolcim Awards Main Category and Next Generations. The Main category is open to projects at an advanced stage of design with a high probability of execution, while students and young professional between 18 and 30 years of age are eligible to share their bold ideas in the Next Generations category.

The eligibility of projects will be irrespective of scale, any sustainable response to technological, environmental, socio-economic and cultural issues affecting contemporary building and construction, and the execution may not have started before July 4, 2016, and the project can compete in the region in which they will be implemented irrespective of location of the main author.

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